Martin and the River

Martin is blessed to have experienced the richness of nature on a visceral level. The love of nature lives deeply within him. Accepting a move to the city is difficult for him. His parents are wise, however. They understand their boy and, after introducing him to some of the fun things a city offers, they show him the local park where Martin can continue to connect with what he loves.

How different is Martin’s experience from how many children and parents experience life in the city! There is often a disconnect from nature as the busyness of daily life and the convenience of staying at home with toys and TV and devices causes many to relax indoors rather than in the outdoors. As a teacher who brings students to local parks as much as possible, I observe students who touch a spider’s web for the first time and experience delight and awe. I notice the minority of students who are comfortable rolling down hills, getting grass stains on their clothes and laughing in delight. Soon their peers, unfamiliar with this experience, join them and discover the same joy. Martin knows that the trunk of a tree is not one colour but a blending of many colours because he has touched and smelled and observed.

The illustrations in Martin and the River are phenomenal! When Martin is in the park, the pictures are mostly greens and blues along with the reds and yellows and rich browns. When Martin is in the city, the illustrations are overshadowed with grey and black and contrasted with bright red and oranges and blues. Some illustrations are from Martin’s perspective while others look down on Martin from far above from a bird’s perspective. Illustrations were created with a mix of collage, coloured pencils, soft pastels, gouache and digital montage. The end sheets are a beautiful natural green and show a bigger view of the city set in the countryside around it.

The mood of the book reflects Martin’s journey of disappointment in having to leave his favorite river, the difficulty of embracing changes, and the begrudging enjoyment in the delights a city offers and, finally, the joy in discovering that the city has a park with a stream, plants and animals that feel familiar to the ones to which he had to say goodbye to. Throughout, the support of Martin’s parents adds an element of safety as Martin navigates these emotions.

May Martin and the River inspire parents and guardians to take their children outside so they can all dangle their feet in the moving waters of the stream and plunge their hands into the silky mud to feel it squish between their fingers! May it give children the opportunity to watch the dragonfly fly and land and rub its legs together. May it cause the parents, guardians and children to fall in love with nature as they watch the changes in seasons and the antics of animals in their natural world. In a world of busyness and devices, these tactile experiences often fall by the wayside. May this book inspire families to spend hours in the local parks so they can join Martin in his enjoyment of all things natural.